Senior Spacecraft Communications Engineer — Space-to-Ground

CesiumAstro; Westminster (MD); On-site; USD 134,000 - 161,000; Full time

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Job summary

CesiumAstro is actively seeking a Senior Spacecraft Communication Systems Engineer to own the design, configuration, and operation of space-to-ground links. You will define how the satellite communicates with the ground in nominal and off-nominal conditions, ensuring reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery.

The ideal candidate has strong systems engineering background with space-based payloads and ground terminals, coordinating across multidisciplinary teams to deliver mission success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience in satellite communications and RF systems.
• Experience in design, verification, and operation of satellite communication links.
• Strong understanding of link budget analysis, modulation schemes and ground station interfaces.
• Hands-on experience configuring and testing ground station equipment and space-qualified radios and antennas.
• Practical understanding of how space links fail and how to fix them.

Responsibilities

• Model, analyze and maintain the satellite’s link budget, modulation and coding for reliable space-to-ground communications.
• Architect crypto solutions for flight hardware and endpoints; manage pass-throughs.
• Troubleshoot ground station networks with providers and on-site terminals.
• Define radios usage across mission phases, including contingency operations and emergency recovery.
• Contribute to RF link test campaigns and validate end-to-end performance.
• Optimize low-SWaP communications and ensure robust, fail-safe links.

Job description

CesiumAstro is actively seeking a Senior Spacecraft Communication Systems Engineer to own the design, configuration, and operation of space-to-ground links. You will define how the satellite communicates with the ground in nominal and off-nominal conditions, ensuring reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery.

The ideal candidate has strong systems engineering background with space-based payloads and ground terminals, coordinating across multidisciplinary teams to deliver mission success.